Shock-absorber for vehicles.



E. W. CUMMINGS. sHoox ABsonBEB For. vBHIcLEs. AIILIUATIOJYh FILED MAB. 28, i910.

970,61 1 Patented sept. 2o, 1910.

l W. CU'JlIHtIINGSJ OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SHCK-ASORBER FOR VEHICLES.

Specification ot Letters Patent. Y Patented Sept, 2b, 191() Application tiled March 28, 1910. Serial No. 551,961.

To all 'whom itimay Be it known that I, HARRY W. CUMMINos,

` a 61am ef the unites states, residing in the city of Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, -Stateof California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers for Vehicles, of which the following is a speciiication.

Myiinvention relates to a shock absorber for use upon that class of vehicles in which springs are interposed between the axles of the running gear and the load carrying body; and the object thereof .is to prevent an objectionable movement in the recoil of 'such interposed springs when compressed vby reason of the vehicle passing over an obstruction upon or into or out of a depresv sion'in the road over which it is passing. .y

-I accomplish this object by the mechanism described erein and illustrated in the accampanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end elevation with parts broken a\vay-,of my improved shock absorber with a fragment. of the vehicle shown partly in elevation and partly in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section and partly broken away, of my improved shock absorber detached from the vehlcle.

In the drawings I have illustrated my shock absorber as applied" to an automobile,

and I will describe it as applied to such vehicle, although it may beapplied to any other vehicle having springs interposed between the axles of the running gear and the load carrying body. i

In the drawings 3 is the metallic frame of the body of the vehicle.

' members f) of a clutch. The other member 10 of the clutch is slidably mounted upon a square sleeve 11, which sleeve is revolubly mounted upon shaft 7. If desired sleeve 11 could be round, but in that case member 10 would have to be splined thereon so as to permit of a slidin; y movement on the sleeve and at the same time prevent it from rotating thereon. A friction or brake drum 12 is rigidly secured upon sleevell at the end opposite member 10. A coil `spring 13 surrounds the sleeve between the drum and the lclutch member and normally holds member 10 1n engagement with member 9. A brake strap 14 1s secured at one end to frame 5 and passes over the brake drum end i seculdyto y an adjusting bolt -15 which passes throu h a lug 16 secured to frame 5. Adjusting 1t 15,-is provided with a nut 17, and between the nut and lug is a springlS, which pro vides means for securing, in connection with the nut, a yielding tension on the brake strap. Takeup strap 19 has one end thereof secured to the takeup drum. and the other end is buckled around the rear axle of the vehicle, or otherwise secured thereto, assing through an aperture of the bed. re-

traction' springy 20 has one end secured to Lf frame 5 and the other end secured to the takeup drum. This spring causes the takeu drum to revolve audwind thereon the slcc of the takeup strap whenever the bed is caused to approach the axles of the vehicle by the machine running over obstructions on the road or into depressions therein. The springs of the vehicle are then prevented 'rom expanding until the brake drum is rotated, thereby preventing" any /quick rebound of the springs of the auto, as the tension ofthe brake strap on the brake drum is regulated to such tension as will prevent any suddanjebound.

By this consteilction it will be observed that I have provid a cheap and etlcient 4sh'ock absorber which holds the s )rings of the 4ve` hicle from the ordinary su den recoil movenient thereof when compressed, and which begins to act to prevent such recoil as soon as the vehicle springshave' reached their compression limit caused b the shock of the vehicle r'ii'nning over. an o struction or into a depression. The slowness of the'recoil' of the vehicle springs will b'e governed b .the amount of tension placed upon the strap, the ,greater the tension the slower the takeup strap unwiuds.

I have shown and described my shock-absorber as secured upon the body of the vehicle but it is obvious that it could secured upon the axle of the vehicle and the takeup stra could be secured to the body of the vehicle. In the construction described and claimed herein the vehicle body will be rake ' wmsdered as one member of the Vehicle and the `running gear as the other'inmber of the vehicle Having described. my lnven'titn ii/hat ism carried by said last drum; and a `friction mechanism engaging the other drum.

2. The combination with a spring Supported body and its running geur, of a frame seein-eel to one of snidmeinbers;- u shaft mounted in mid frame; e takeup drum rev-A ohiby mounted on Suid shaft; u takeup bend having one end secured to said telkeup drum, und the other end Secured to the other -ineniberz a clutch member secured to said tnkeup drum; a sleeve revolubly monnte on meen seid shafti t1 friction drtin mounted on Said seve; a' clutch member shdableion said Sheeme and revohibie therewith, sind clutch member being` adapted to lock lwith the ointoh member on the takeup drum when the @imm 1s revolved 1n one direction and to snap past when the drinn is revolved in Jthe opposite direction; a brake Strap having' its ends secured to said frame and passing over and in Contact with said friction drinn, one of said connections being an adjustable yielding connection; means to keep the clutch members normally in engagement; and

means to operate the takeup drum to Wind the slack of the talkeup band thereon upon the compression oit' the springs.

In witness, that I Chinn the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my naine this 21st day of March, 1910.

l y HARRY W. CUMMtNGe Witnesses z v G. E. HARPHAM,

S. B. AUSTIN. 

